Surviving the Time Change

Oct 19, 2015 Health and Wellness, Mind, Podcast

Every spring and fall we turn our physical clocks forward and back, then
expect our body clocks to follow suit. But it turns out even an hour of
change can have major impacts on the quality of our sleep, and affect
other areas of our lives. We're looking at how we can not only get
through the time change more smoothly, but use sleep as a key to health
and happiness.

Dr. Atwal is the director of Adventist Health's Sleep Disorders Center.
Her team treats everything from insomnia and sleep apnea to sleepwalking
and acting out dreams. Compared to some of these conditions the time change
can seem very minimal, but Dr. Atwal says it has real effects on us.

That one hour shift can seem insignificant (especially in the fall when
it feel like we get to sleep in for an extra hour), but the adjustment
affects more than our sleep schedule. Everything from our meals to our
moods are tied to our body's internal clock. While a little extra
sleep in the morning may feel good, the net result on our overall health
and mood might not be as positive.

Poor sleep (or lack of sleep) has been linked to:

Heart attack

Stroke

Diabetes

Weight Gain

Lowered immune state

Sleep Debt

Remember that extra hour of sleep you get in the morning after the fall
time change? Well it turns out your body is ready for sleep an hour earlier
in the evening, because that's when you were going to bed before the
time change. By going to bed at a different time you may have more difficulty
falling asleep. On the other hand your body is probably ready to wake
up an hour earlier (even if you're still asleep the quality of sleep
may not be as good because your body is already transitioning to "awake"
mode). Maybe it only costs you 15 minutes, but after several nights you're
now behind on your sleep by an hour or more. Ever felt like the time change
seems much harder on the third or fourth day? It's not just your imagination.
It's your body letting you know you've racked up sleep debt.

Compensating with an extra cup of coffee or a short nap

Caffeine: Dr. Atwal says caffeine is not necessarily bad, but can become a problem
when you have too much, or have it too late in the day. In general this
means 1-2 cups of coffee per day, but not after 3 p.m. At that point it
can disrupt your ability to sleep.

Naps: Many cultures around the world use a 20-30 minute nap as part of their
standard workday. Again, this should be done before 3 p.m. so it doesn't
disrupt your sleep.

Exercise: A great stimulant we often forget about. When you start to feel tired
in the early afternoon taking a short walk can trigger the alerting signals
in your body that keep you awake and will make you more tired at the end
of the day, when it's time to sleep.

Light: Taking that walk outside can expose your body to light, which is another
key trigger for waking up. It trains our internal clock for when it's
time to be alert. If you can't get outside using a light box can help
you achieve the same benefit. These lights are often recommended for people
with seasonal affective disorder, so you may find making light exposure
a priority improves your mood as well as your sleep.

A pillar of a healthy lifestyle

In Episode 9 of our podcast, Dr. Sarah Winslow identified sleep as one of her
Five Secrets for a Balanced Busy Life. Dr. Atwal agrees, saying sleep is as foundational to good health as diet
and exercise. In order to have healthy sleep you have to have healthy,
consistent sleep habits.

How should you prepare for time changes?

Start from a healthy and consistent sleep schedule. Avoid tobacco, caffeine
and alcohol at least four hours before bedtime.

Start the change gradually. Go to bed about 15 minutes later and wake up
15 minutes later for each of the four days leading up to the time change
(if it's the spring time change shift your sleep/wake times 15 minutes
earlier each day). This helps make the change more manageable for your body.

Use bright light early in the morning to tell your body it's time to be awake.

Consider using Melatonin 60-90 minutes before the time you want to go to
sleep. Your body naturally produces Melatonin in higher levels when it
thinks it's time for sleep. You can help your body adjust to an earlier
sleep schedule by starting that increase earlier. Dr. Atwal recommends
synthetic Melatonin, as opposed to "natural" (which is derived
from animals).